Ferrexpo plc, a mining company with its main assets in Ukraine, delivered 60% of its iron ore raw materials (IORM) by sea in January-June 2025, 35% by rail, and 5% by river barges.
According to the company’s interim report on Wednesday, the group continued to take advantage of its access to Ukrainian Black Sea ports to export products by sea to Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, as well as Europe, which prefer sea transport over rail or river barges. A total of 60% of sales were exported by sea during this period, compared with 53% in the previous six months and 47% in the same period of 2024.
It is reported that a total of 16 vessels were loaded with Ferrexpo products from Ukrainian ports during the half-year. Of the total sales, 50% went to Asian customers, 38% to European customers, and the remaining 12% to customers in the Middle East and North Africa.
Overall, seaborne sales remained stable at 2.1 million tons. Sales volumes increased compared to previous half-years, although they remained unchanged compared to the same period in 2024.
However, the Fe (65%) iron ore index declined by 10% during this period, resulting in revenue of $453 million, up 18% compared to the previous six months and down 17% compared to the same period last year ($549 million), when iron ore prices were significantly higher.
Total sales volume amounted to 3.8 million tons, including pellets and concentrate, which is 28% more than in the second half of 2024, but 1% less than in the first half of 2024.
During the reporting period, the Group reduced its production cost by 2.2% under C1 to $77.1/tonne (in the first half of 2024 – $78.8/tonne) due to reduced mining activities, lower fuel prices, lower maintenance costs, and lower personnel expenses. The main factors affecting C1 costs are electricity, natural gas, and diesel fuel prices. The Group continued to experience sharp increases in electricity prices due to the existing weakness of electricity generation and distribution capacities in Ukraine as a result of ongoing Russian attacks.
It should be noted that the Group’s business is energy-intensive, and the main components of C1 expenses are electricity, gas, and diesel fuel, which together account for 49% (45% in the first half of 2024) of total expenses. In particular, in January-June 2025, the share of electricity costs in C1 costs increased to 34% (first half of 2024 – 27%), and the share of natural gas – to 9% (first half of 2024 – 7%).
The price of iron ore with a 65% benchmark declined during the first half of 2025, closing $11 lower at $104/ton. In July, iron ore prices recovered slightly, with the average price for 65% Fe at $116/tonne in the last week of July, 12% higher than at the beginning of the month.
During the first half of the year, the group operated two of its four pelletizing lines in the first quarter and one line in the second quarter, as well as a specialized concentrate line.
Commenting on the group’s performance, interim CEO Lucio Genovese noted that from January to April 2025, the company was denied VAT refunds of $31.1 million, and by the end of June, this amount had reached $38.3 million.
With the exception of lease obligations, the group has no outstanding loans or borrowings bearing interest, so no interest expenses were incurred on financial lines. The group has minimal financial debt of $2 million.
Ferrexpo owns 100% of Yeristovsky GOK LLC, 99.9% of Bilanovsky GOK LLC, and 100% of Poltava GOK PJSC.
